When you use the words “Hit The Lights” and “New Years Eve” in the same sentence, you’re already asking for one rowdy night.

At one of the smaller, lesser-known venues of the Midwest, Frankies, in Toledo, Ohio, one heck of a party kicked us off into the new year. Toledo itself was a ghost town, but inside the venue was hopping with party hats and favors galore, drink specials that were unheard of, a buffet spread consisting of typical bar snacks and free pizza, and free champagne was handed out to everyone in the building at midnight. People certainly came ready to ring in 2011 with the most solid punk rock band around.

With MTV’s NYE Bash playing on the TVs all night and DJ Ian Divine playing remixes of all your favorite pop songs, everyone came dressed in black-tie affair outfits that could only be forgiven for New Year’s and not any other night at a rock show. People appeared to be bored waiting for the bands to start playing as the venue’s website advertised 8pm doors but the show didn’t commence until 10pm. With that said, the girls in the room attempted to start a dance party, and even though they failed miserably, the effort was appreciated.

The opener for the evening, The Comeback, identified themselves as Christian Reggae and played a full hour set, which was far too long. After the half hour mark, all the songs started to blur together. But hey, it was New Year’s so we’re allowed to bend the rules and throw out the normal etiquette of a traditional rock show for one night. The band certainly had the time of their life on stage, but they tried too hard to entertain the crowd. They made up for it by handing out free CDs to everyone afterwards. Reluctant to show any enthusiasm at all despite the band’s efforts, the crowd chose to save their energy for the night ahead.

Once the clock struck twelve and the room burst into a cheer of “Happy New Year”, Hit The Lights took the stage jumping around without a care in the world and setting off moshpits and fights like you’ve never seen. In a room of no more than 100 people, some of which included the band’s family and friends, it was one of the more intimate shows I’ve seen them play, and it was definitely a treat.

Overall, the sound quality was shotty, but maybe expectations were too high for such a small venue. The set consisted of puddles of sweat, high jumps, and a special appearance from Santa. Their live set may be consistently amazing, but the antics will keep you on your toes every time. Though the band didn’t debut any new material, they managed to play all the hits, “Drop the Girl”, “Stay Out”, and “Coast to Coast” among them as well as covers from Saves the Day and Lifetime. It was also rumored to be the last time the band will ever play “Bodybag” live. While that would be a huge disappointment, we’ll have to see if that rumor holds true. Guitarist Omar Zehery also declared that their new album would be released sometime next year, and we should expect to see the band on the road again in the spring.

Hit The Lights continuously put on a great show, and for as much time as they had off this year, their live performance wasn’t one bit rusty, proving once again that they’re here to stay (out all night ‘cause rest is for the dead).

*This review was composed by Kimi Sugiyama